Star raised her wand.
One minute Toffee was walking away.
The next, he was staring down a powerful blast of raw magic, jaw parted for a scream he wouldn't have time to make.
The beam hit, and Toffee was consumed by the light. Star smiled eerily, keeping it on him until her energy ran out and she collapsed,
fluttering her wings weakly as she fell.
"Star!" Moon and Marco cried as one, rushing to her side as she reached the ground.
"Are you okay, sweety?" Moon asked, cradling her daughter like she was a little girl again.
Star groaned, blinking into awareness, "I- I think so" she said,
shakily getting to her feet. Marco moved to help, and she graciously accepted.
River swooped down on an eagle, and Moon and Star rushed to check on him.
Marco, meanwhile, let his gaze drift to where Toffee had been, now reduced to a pile of clothes.
He grabbed Star's sleeve, "Look" he said, pointing to the crumpled suit.
Star winced, "oooh, man, I disintegrated him"
"I think it's moving"
Star did a double take, and then stared at it intensely.
"You're right, Marco, it is moving!" she said.
The two ran over to it, leaning over the pile of empty cloth just in time for something to emerge from the collar.
A tiny grey lizard shook itself free from the fabric, and then ducked back in when it saw them.
It stared at them from the shadows with vibrant yellow eyes.
"Is that...?" asked Star, reaching down to scoop up the protesting hatchling.
"You... turned him into a baby!" said Marco, shocked.
Star got to her feet, staring at the tiny creature in her cupped hands.
Toffee stared back, chirping uncertainly.
Star giggled, "Heh, he's actually kinda cute this way" she said,
smiling down at the creature.
Toffee, for his part, stood stock still.
"Ha, you're right" said Marco, reaching down to poke at him, "and hey,
at least he can't hurt anyone like this-OW!"
Toffee sunk needle teeth into Marco's finger, and Marco pulled back his hand.
He scowled down at the hatchling in Star's hands.
"Little monster" he grumbled, sucking on his wound.
Toffee hissed up at him.
"Whatever, man"
Moon and River ran over, "What's going on? Have you found something?"
demanded River.
"It's Toffee" said Star, showing her mother.
"Really?" Moon asked, leaning in for a better look.
The hatchling stared up at her, tiny, fragile. Vulnerable. A far cry from the towering monster that'd struck down her mother over two decades earlier.
She shook her head.
"Star, we have got to get rid of it"
"No!" Star yelped, cupping her hands around the panicking septarian, "Mom, are you crazy? He's a baby!"
"He's Toffee, and we don't know what you did to him! We don't know how long this will last, he could come back tomorrow!"
"What is going on?" demanded Yvgeny, who'd just arrived on scene.
Wordlessly, Star uncupped her hands.
Yvgeny's eyes widened. "oh" he said.
"We've got to get rid of it, Star!" Moon reiterated.
Yvgeny grabbed her shoulder, "Now, let's not be so hasty, yes, Toffee was dangerous, but he is baby now. Babies need to be protected. He deserves a second chance"
A moment of silence.
"Well, the castle is trashed, anyway" said Moon, "How'd we even take care of him?
Marco raised a hand, "I could take him in for a bit"
"Why did I agree to take him?" Marco grumbled. kicking open the door to his room with heavy reptile care equipment in tow.
He started dumping in the substrate, placing the hides and water dish,
setting up the heatlamp, ect.
When he was done, he wiped his brow, "Well, you'd better be happy with this, Mars Bar" he muttered, opening the cardboard box Toffee was napping in and gently tipping him into his new home.
Toffee squeaked in protest at this rude awakening, then shook himself awake, looking around at the small enclosure Marco'd provided for him.
He circled the perimeter, tapping the glass with his face, and then promptly climbed into his water bowl. splashing it almost playfully with his little... hands? Feet?
"Aaand he's in the water bowl. Perfect" Marco muttered.
They'd better get the castle fixed soon.